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Early Harvest Brodiaea

Brodiaea coronaria

geophyte View on Calscape

Care

Sun

full sun

Water

very low

Size

0–0ft tall

Bloom

Mar-May

Deer

Resistant

Container

Friendly

Flowers

Prized

Edible

Corms roasted or boiled; traditional California Indigenous food.

Native Range

Central California valleys and foothills from the Klamath River region to Kern County, below 3000 ft in grassland and oak savanna.

Care Guide

Planting

Plant Early Harvest Brodiaea in full sun where it will get at least 6 hours of direct light daily. This native perennial grows from a corm and thrives in well-draining soil - it needs very low water, so avoid heavy clay or areas that stay wet. Plant in fall or early winter to allow the corm to establish before spring blooms arrive in March through May.

After Planting

Once established, Early Harvest Brodiaea requires minimal water and will actually decline if overwatered, so resist the urge to irrigate during the growing season. The plant is deer resistant and relatively low-maintenance, though the corm will go dormant after flowering; allow foliage to die back naturally rather than cutting it down prematurely. The biggest mistake is watering too much - treat this like the dry-season native it is and you'll have years of reliable purple flowers.

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